A comparison of sweating responses during exercise and recovery in terms of sweating rate and body temperature

Based on the hypothesis that the relation between sweating rate and body temperature should be different during exercise and rest after exercise, we compared the sweating response during exercise and recovery at a similar body temperature. Healthy male subjects performed submaximal exercise (Experiment 1) and maximal exercise (Experiment 2) in a room at 27 degrees C and 35% relative humidity. During exercise and recovery of 20 min after exercise, esophageal temperature (Tes), mean skin temperature, mean body temperature (Tb), chest sweating rate (msw), and the frequency of sweat expulsion (Fsw) were measured. In both experiments, msw and Fsw were clearly higher during exercise than recovery at a similar body temperature (Tes, Tb). msw was similar during exercise and recovery, or a little less during the former, at a similar Fsw. It is concluded that the sweating rate during exercise is greater than that during recovery at the same body temperature, due to greater central sudomotor activity during exercise. The difference between the two values is thought to be related to non-thermal factors and the rate of change in mean skin temperature.